


philomath

by discoangel



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Apartment Living, Boys in Skirts, Dinosaurs, M/M, Strawberries, Tattoos, University, domestic tsukkiyama, hating authority, tsukkiyama - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:07:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27630470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/discoangel/pseuds/discoangel
Summary: “ Kei was a philomath; a lover of learning. Tadashi adored that trait, it was the most endearing one that he could list (at the top of his head). The way that Kei would dive so deeply into a topic he cared about only to share that knowledge with Tadashi that same day; a glowing face and a gleam in his eye.So when that gleam started to dim, and that radiance began to fade, Tadashi had to push that self-doubt out of his mind. If Kei wasn’t going to start the conversation, then by Gods witness he’ll do it himself. “
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 3
Kudos: 11





	1. prologue - stubbornly compliant

University was important, Kei knew that. He’d known when he was younger and his brother wouldbend down, pointing a stern finger at his chest and exclaiming how far Kei would go with his life. _Don’t waste what you have._ He knew it was important when his mother had wept into his shoulder, a smile plastered on her face when he had been accepted into a university.

 _Kei, you’re going to university, right? Kei, what field do you plan on going in to? Tsukishima, is volleyball really going to be beneficial in the long-run?_ Everyone was concerned about his future and how he was going to manhandle it- concerned how he would scrunch it up between his big hands and stomp it so far down the trash no one would be able to retrieve it. _Good,_ he thinks, _don’t let them get it._

Perhaps that would have been a good thing.

Kei thinks back to the time the third years had been told to think _very_ carefully about whether volleyball would get in the way of their grades. He remembers the whispers and hushed conversations the first and second years shared, jumping in with theories of their own, building onto each others about what _they_ planned to do once they reached their third year of school.

Kei wasn’t asked what he wanted. No. But joyously he was offered the choices of all the sciences in the world. _Tsukishima, we highly recommend students like you to consider doing some sought of science. Perhaps physics? Biology? Psychology? Just think about it._

And sure, maybe he would’ve liked to do something based in science. Maybe that is what he wanted.

But he was too stubborn. He _knew_ why they wanted him to do sciences. Not because they knew about his tastes and what subjects he was interested in, no. No, no-no. It was the image of the school; the image of his teachers and the faculty around him. No one _cared_. It was never about him, it was never about what he wanted.

It never felt like he was making the choice, there was always outsider input and it was so infuriating- like someone else was choosing _for_ him. He was so sick of people choosing for him. So infuriating, in-fact that Kei decided to opt-out of science altogether. If he wasn’t the one making the decision, then what good was it for? He was the one in control of his life, not his parents, not his brother, not his friends and not his teachers.

No one could tell him what to do, even if it was what he wanted- and that meant no more science. _Serves them right for shoving science down my throat,_ he thinks. _No science for you._

But when his and Tadashi’s first year of university came and went, there was something so meaningless about it all. Perhaps it was the routine, or perhaps it was the subjects- yeah, it was most definitely the classes he was taking.

“Tsuki, what do you want?” Tadashi had asked him one evening after a lazy dinner they had shared. The couch easily fit the two of them, Tadashi still preferring to drape his legs over Kei’s lap. The question was reasonable- Hell, the question was necessary. Yet, why was it so hard to just sit down and think, ‘yes Kei. What _do_ you want? Hm?’

All these years of ‘I get to make my own choices’ and ‘I’ll decide what I do’. All these years trying to prove that _he’s_ in control of his life and just being so god damn fucking sick and tired of having these expectations. All of this comes crashing down with a single statement- a _suggestion_ if you will, “Maybe you could think about palaeontology?” _Oh,_ Kei thinks. _Yeah, that would make sense, wouldn’t it?_ The innocent grin on Tadashi’s face was upheld through Kei’s response of a thoughtful nod. He looked proud. Proud that he could finally tell Kei without feeling like he was pushing his luck. Not that he was scared to say something to Kei, no. It was more that Tadashi wanted to respect his boundaries. Plus what business was it of his on what Kei wanted to do with his life?

Except it was. Or at least it seemed like it did. Kei was a philomath; a lover of learning. There was so much to research, so much to be taught and so much to gain. Tadashi adored that trait, it was the most endearing one that he could list (at the top of his head). The way that Kei would dive so deeply into a topic he cared about only to share that knowledge with Tadashi that same day; a glowing face and a gleam in his eye. It was the most radiant Tadashi had seen the taller boy and nothing made him happier than indulging in some strange, far-out topic that Kei had read up on.

So when that gleam started to dim, and that radiance began to fade, Tadashi had to push that self-doubt out of his mind. If Kei wasn’t going to start the conversation, then by God he’ll do it himself. While Kei lost a piece of himself, day-by-day- Tadashi slowly fell behind, collecting the pieces- saving them for a rainy day.

The sky roared, the roof shook and Kei’s brain falls limp in his head, “Palaeontology, huh?” the hum of the radio passes over him as the clouds do- the storm casting a shadow onto Tadashi’s small face, “how long have you been sitting on that?” He picks at the hem of the sock Tadashi’s wearing, aimlessly giving his brain something to focus on. That _was_ how fidgeting worked, after all.

“Only about a year,” A scoff from Kei sends Tadashi into a spout of laughter, the noises being drowned out by the banging of hail and rain against the balcony window, “Kei?”

“Hmm?” _Crack, crack_. Would the hail be strong enough to penetrate the window? Surely not. It was hardly a storm- the wind making everything appear worse than it already was. The balcony was starting to flood, not dangerously; but enough that Tadashi might start to get concerned if he were to turn around and-

“Will you think about it?” The couch shifts as Tadashi sits up, probably to look at Kei’s reaction. Sometimes the only form of communication they shared was through facial expressions and body language alone. Tobio gives them enough shit for it as is.

“Palaeontology?” He muses looking at the boy beside him, “Yeah. Yeah, I will, Tadashi.” Maybe there was still time for him to collect the form- the form with all his subjects for the next year. The form with no sciences, a form with no possibility of palaeontology.

And for the first time, the possibility of something that didn’t come directly from Kei seemed to be a good idea. 


	2. ethereal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What do you think of it Tsuki?”
> 
> It’ll look so good on you. So, so good. Are you getting it for me? For us? I’m literally in love with you, I can’t believe you’re getting a tattoo of a dinosaur. Where are you going to get it? 
> 
> He clears his throat, “I like it.”

“All I’m saying is, I don’t think snails could taste _that_ bad.” The resounding _thud_ of the library slamming against the back wall catches everyone’s attention, including Kei, who has so generously saved the nuances a table.

The look on Tobio’s face could be described as blank; done. So very, very done, “I have no more energy left to argue with you.” A sigh leaves his mouth, as he runs a hand over his face. The end of the conversation so painfully clear to everyone else- except for Shoyo, of course.

Kei’s eyes roll so far back into his head he swears he’s shifted dimensions.

Shoyo Hinata and Tobio Kageyama had been together for at least two years, don’t trust any one of them to give you an exact date. It’s not that they don’t want to tell anyone, it’s more like they can’t even if they tried. The confession didn’t necessarily happen like anyone would have imagined it. Of course, their friendship had been notorious for their hot-headed nature and competitiveness- yet somehow, someway, they could just fit so _well_ together.

The confession wasn’t romantic, rather mutual. Which sounds boring- doesn’t it? But it was just so _them_ that it made sense. Kei didn’t hear the end of it for at least two full weeks.

“Sorry, Kageyama,” he pouts, “I’m still right, you know? Even the French eat it!” Tobio mutters something under his breath, likely a string of ‘yeah, yeah’ or ‘sure you are’. Hinata glances around the room, obviously looking for Kei. Kei pretends that he’s alone and doesn’t know the two students standing in front of him. Nope. He should’ve gone to a different library or at least to the back where not even God himself would be able to find him- let alone these two struggling bastards.

“Where’s Yamaguchi?” Tobio and Hinata slide into the seats in front of him, unpacking their bags full of textbooks and notes.

“Hello to you too. Thanks for asking, I had a great day.” Kei solemnly nods to himself, not looking up from his notes that he’s hardly focused on.

“Bite me.”

“Get him to do it,” He flicks his hand in the general direction of Hinata, “I’m not Tadashi’s carer, I don’t know where he is.” He shrugs, pulling out another textbook- his biology textbook.

The boys’ second year of university had begun weeks ago, Kei making it in time to change his entire course. He chose subjects with the help of a guidance counsellor and Tadashi, making sure to pick the subjects that would guarantee him with a spot in palaeontology. The decision had been easy to make, it just made sense. The night Tadashi had brought it up, Kei was itching to get back his form. It was an unfamiliar feeling- a welcoming one, nonetheless. He had slept on the couch that night with Tadashi’s feet pooled on his lap, the future seemed a little clearer than it was a few hours ago.

The storm banged against the balcony door that night.

Wasn’t the point of coming to the library to study? So why couldn’t he just- concentrate? He wasn’t that dependant on Tadashi. Yeah, right. He’s not. He rolls his eyes at himself- feeling stupid for relying on a human this much.

Surely this wasn’t healthy. Kei liked to think of himself as a dependant person, but with Tadashi in view, the idea of independence seemed to show itself out. It just so happens to show itself out through the third-floor libraries window.

When the doors of the library open and close with little-to-no noise, no one at the table would even have to lift their heads to know who it is. So when the graceful figure slides into the seat beside Kei and intertwines their hands together below the table, neither of them are necessarily surprised. All it means is that with Tadashi’s right hand occupied, he’ll flick through his textbook with his left hand, not paying attention to the words on the paper.

Kei accepts the hand. Of course, he accepts the hand. It didn’t always go like this, Tadashi and his silence. So when it did happen, Kei said nothing. Nothing because he knows that’s what Tadashi needs right now, he can ask questions later. But right now if Tadashi needs a hand, he’ll quite literally give him one.

“Are you guys busy tonight?” Kei’s head flies up to meet Yamaguchi’s. He had seemed so out of it just a moment ago, the sudden implication of plans tickling Kei’s curiosity.

“I’m free,” Kageyama states blandly.

“Mmm,” Hinata rubs his chin like he’s the fucking Thinking David, “nope! What did you have in mind Yams?”

“Oh, right!” He lets go of Kei’s hand and leans over to his book bag beside him, fishing around the main pocket for something. His tongue sticks out a little on the side as he grunts- almost falling off the side of the chair. He pulls himself up, a paper clenched in his hand and a grin stretched across his face, “I’m getting a tattoo.” He smiles so innocently, so carelessly while sliding the paper on the table.

Kei stares at it.

Like, really stares at it. You know when you look at something so intensely that it starts to look like _nothing?_ Because he’s sure the oxygen that should normally be around has been sucked up into the atmosphere and is leaving him breathless and about to fucking die.

It’s a dinosaur. A cute, little stupid dinosaur.

“Woah! It’s so cute.” Hinata pulls the paper towards himself and Kei silently curses him from taking it away from his view.

“Did you want us to come with you?” Kageyama furrows his brows, trying to put the pieces together.

Kei’s still trying to remember how to breathe.

“Yeah, I just thought it would be nice to get it with you all.” Tadashi’s smile makes all of Kei’s ‘breathing progress’ flush itself down the drain.

It’s a fucking dinosaur.

Like the course he’s taking- and the thing he’s been obsessed with since being a child.

“Okay.” Kei breathes out and he feels like he’s been re-born.

“What do you think of it Tsuki?” The smile never falters as Tadashi’s body turns into Kei’s. His face is so close to Kei’s. He’s sitting on his knees, making him slightly taller than usual.

_It’ll look so good on you. So, so good. Are you getting it for me? For us? I’m literally in love with you, I can’t believe you’re getting a tattoo of a dinosaur. Where are you going to get it?_ He clears his throat, “I like it.” God, he’s pathetic 

“I’m glad.” The place that Tadashi holds Kei is burning hot and Kei wants to leave this fucking library.

“This is so exciting. I can’t believe you’re getting a tattoo!” Hinata beams and kneels on his chair, leaning forward to get closer to Yamaguchi.

“When’s the appointment?” Kageyama catches Hinata before he bangs his chin into the table.

“Tonight at six, come by our place if you want to come. I’ll need-”

“Wait- Yama. Did you _draw_ this?” Hinata stares at the drawing in front of him again.

The blush creeping up on Yamaguchi’s face is so perfect and so him, Kei wouldn’t stop it for the world. So he doesn’t. He sits there and watches Tadashi squirm, “Yeah. I drew it a while ago. I just like it, I don’t know.” He shrugs at himself.

Kei stares at it, again. _(God, get a life, Kei)_ This time he notices the faint markings of a pencil, likely erased as a dark black fine liner covers it. He hand drew it?

“It’s so good! Isn’t it Kageyama?” Hinata swings his head around to Kageyama and shoves the paper in his face. To which he grabs it out of the shorter boys hands and looks at it a little more closely.

“It’s pretty,” He chokes out and Kei laughs, before putting a fist over his mouth. He’s met with a glare from the setter, “What?” He grumbles.

“Nothing, nothing” He smiles before glancing at his watch, “but, _we_ have to go.” He looks to Yamaguchi hoping he’ll get the message.

“Yeah, yeah.” Kageyama rolls his eyes, looking back down at whatever he’s working on. Tadashi looks confused for just a moment before he’s shoving his textbooks into his book bag and holding onto the piece of paper in the other. Kei wastes no more time before he’s locked his hand around Tadashi’s wrist and is quite literally _dragging_ him out of the library.

He gets a weird glance or two from the staff but lord have mercy if Kei actually gives a shit.

“Kei, is something wrong?” He sounds worried.

Well, obviously not. Kei doesn’t utter a word the entire walk home, him staying a few steps in front to drag Tadashi firmly along. The afternoon is chilly, and Yamaguchi’s hand is as cold as ice. Kei shivers every few minutes from the feeling. He’s kind of a big baby when it comes to Winter, but nothing- and he means _nothing_ could stop him right now.

They reach their apartment, Kei climbs the stairs with purpose while simultaneously fishing for his keys in his pockets. He’s not wasting any time. He unlocks the door, ushering Tadashi in before closing it, “Tsuki-” Kei gently pushes him against the wall beside the door peppering kisses on his face. Light little touches here and there. His hands slide up to Yamaguchi’s face, keeping him still as he goes on about showing his love.

He feels tipsy. Like he’s drunk just a little too much.

He presses his lips on his nose, then moves quickly to his forehead before planting an airy kiss on his cheek. Tadashi giggles and smiles at the affection, it’s so cute that Kei kisses that same smile and relishes in it. He kisses into that smile because it makes him feel so good- so radiant.

“What’s all this for?” Kei doesn’t stop, just basks in his boyfriend's smile and presence.

“Tattoo.” He breathlessly places another kiss on Tadashi’s lips, this time a bit firmer- a bit deeper. He tilts his head down as Tadashi turns his up, their lips colliding to deepen the kiss.

“Hm,” He acknowledges, “what about it?” He whispers.

“Thinking about you,” one kiss, “with a tattoo,” another one, “makes me feel things.” His tongue dips into Tadashi’s mouth, and the small whine that comes from the shorter boy makes Kei grin.

“What kind of things?”

Kei pulls away, his lips brushing Tadashi’s so lightly. Their foreheads practically touching and their breaths intertwined, “Bad things.” A light whine escapes Tadashi’s mouth as Kei resumes his attack. The _Loving_ attack, that is. He kisses those freckles on his cheek, kissing a path down to his neck. His hands move down to Tadashi’s hips and pull him closer. Tadashi ruts up into the taller boy, a throaty growl erupts from Kei’s throat as he pushes Tadashi’s thighs apart with his knee- placing it between his legs. He kisses along Tadashi’s jaw and hovers a little longer on the spot beneath his ear, sucking the skin between his teeth. “Kei,” he sighs.

“Mm?”

“Let me- _ah_ , Tsuki let me-” Kei shifts his knee against Tadashi.

”Where are you getting it?” He kisses right underneath the boys ear as Tadashi scrambles to life his shirt up slightly, “here?” he brushes his thumb over Tadashi’s hip bone.

”Yeah that’s- _oh._ ” He sighs when Kei bobs down, kissing the area Tadashi had pointed to. _This boy is ethereal,_ he thinks. He laps at the skin a few times, trailing kisses back up the boys stomach, to his throat and neck.

He peppers a few more kisses under Tadashi’s jaw. He rests his forehead on Kei’s shoulder, breathing deeply as Kei’s hands move down Tadashi’s body, “You deserve it,” His hands brush over Tadashi’s sides and another sigh escapes his lips, “not yet though.” Tadashi opens his mouth in retaliation but finds he doesn’t know what to say. Kei’s hands drop to his sides as he backs away smiling.

“So you’re okay with letting me go to my appointment with a boner?” He trails Kei, his arms crossed over his chest.

“Yep.” Kei grins like he’s never grinned before, casually shrugging his shoulders.

“I can just go to the bathroom to fix the problem _you_ caused.” He cheekily mimics the shrug.

Kei turns around, enclosing his hand around Tadashi’s wrist again, “No you won’t,” He presses a kiss to Yamaguchi’s lips again, ghosting them once he pulls away. Tadashi shivers, “You forgot to invite Yachi, too.” He whispers before straightening up and leaving Tadashi’s side.

“Oh- I did, didn’t I? Right. Thanks, Tsuki.” Tadashi stumbles before reaching for his phone and tapping the screen to presumably invite Yachi. Kei parks himself on the couch, pulling the book from the coffee table into his hands and flipping it open.

_He’s so pretty_ , Kei thinks as Tadashi floats over to him- crawling on the couch and laying his head on Kei’s lap. He closes his eyes, evening his breath as Kei adjusts the book so it doesn’t press into the sleepy boys’ skin. His pretty skin.

Kei sighs, moving the book into one hand and using the other to mindlessly run his fingers through Tadashi’s hair- separating strands and twirling them in his finger. He’s not paying attention to the book anymore. How hard would he have to pull for the hair to fall out?

He stops touching the boys’ hair and scolds himself. Why would you even wonder something like that? Especially Tadashi’s hair. If he’s going to pull anyone’s hair out it should be Kageyama, or Hinata if he _must_ \- not Tadashi, _never_ Tadashi.

_Unless he wants me to._ Kei thinks to himself and gives a slight nod to affirm himself and his newly found information.

Yamaguchi’s breaths even out and quiet down and Kei concludes that he’s fallen asleep. He argues to himself that sleep would be a great idea right now and reaches for his phone on the armchair beside him. He sets an alarm that will give them both enough time to get ready for Tadashi’s appointment.

The tattoo appointment.

The appointment where Tadashi would get a tattoo of a dinosaur. Lord help Kei if he’s going to get through this appointment gracefully.

The alarm stays on, and so does Kei’s mind. It doesn’t shut off- nor does it want to. He sits there, feet firmly planted on the floor with Tadashi’s head in his lap. The boy has hardly moved since falling asleep and Kei just keeps staring at the wall. The alarm should be going off soon. It’s an educated guess- not a statement since Kei has no idea how much time has passed since the boy had fallen asleep and he took up the exciting task of... staring at the wall.

Yeah, good management of your time, Kei. He grimaces at himself. He wants to verbally tell himself off but that would be dumb, and would most likely wake up the green-haired boy beneath him.

They had been together for so long, and they had known each other for even longer. Tadashi had seen all of Kei, he knew it all-and yet he was still there, lying on his lap, fully entrusting himself to Kei. It still, after all these years, seemed so strange for someone like Tadashi to put so much effort into Kei; and no matter how much he sat down and thought about it, or how much he tried to use his brain to come up with a decent answer he just _couldn’t_ and it was killing him.

He’s lived his life with these expectations, and what? Now he can’t even understand why the only person he cares about in his life continues to stick around?

Even after everything. His attitude, the way he speaks, how he’s boring- not sociable, demanding but not giving.

He doesn’t put others first, he hardly does anything for himself either; and while we’re at it, he hardly feels worthy of any form of kindness-

“Tsuki?” A croaky voice rips Kei away from himself as he jumps back into his seat a little further.

“Hm? Did I wake you?” He looks down at the boy, running a hand through his hair. He was sure to be extra careful to keep it down and to not move.

“A little,” he smiles and closes his eyes again, “your leg was bouncing up and down.” He breathes deeply out through his nose, resting his cheek on Kei’s thigh to look up at him.

_Oh._ Is the only thing that pops into Kei’s head. Oh, it’s like this, huh, “Sorry, go back to sleep.” The boy shakes his head.

“Can’t,” he yawns, “too excited.” He grins so brightly as he sits up, stretching like he’s been asleep the whole day, “Tsuki, I know you said you liked the idea of me getting a tattoo,” he stops as if waiting for Kei to acknowledge what he’s saying, which the blonde thinks is ridiculous since he’s always listing to Tadashi. He responds with a nod to carry the conversation along, “you don’t mind that it’s a dinosaur?”

Does he mind?

_Does he mind?_

Of course, he doesn’t mind. This is probably the best thing to happen this year. When Tadashi had wanted to get his helix pierced, he had almost had the same reaction, except that was a few years ago and Kei wasn’t nearly the horny bastard he was now. So come to present and a lot of pent up feelings and emotions were slamming together and it was a little overwhelming. _Pull yourself together._

“Of course I don’t mind. It’s your body, anyway.” Kei shrugs.

“Are you sure?” Tadashi looks at him with wide eyes and a curious look. Kei internally groans. He’s not sure how to express how much he wants this for Tadashi. How could he possibly even begin to explain it when even he doesn’t get it. He reaches for the boys face, squishing his cheeks in between one hand, grinning once Tadashi starts to giggle. He gently pulls him forward, “I’m _very_ sure.” He presses a chaste kiss to his lips and pulls away satisfied.

“Okay,” he breathes, “okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uh huh oh yeah,,  
> hello everyone 
> 
> enjoy the first chapter of philomath :)  
> tsuki is so ossossososos so so so in love 
> 
> anyway, happy reading!

**Author's Note:**

> omg hey mamas how we doing??? 
> 
> ok here’s my tsukiyama because i desperately need more of them and i can’t find any- with that being said i’ll make my own. this was a little short but that is just cause it’s the prologue!! don’t be disheartened :))
> 
> i have a good idea of where this is going but please comment if there’s anything you want to see?? or any tips!!
> 
> happy reading :)


End file.
